Meet Our Team

Greg McLaughlin

Founder & Partner

Greg started BFS in 2001 after completing his finance degree from the University of Iowa.  After competing for five years as a member of the Iowa football team, Greg began laying the foundation of what has now become an ensemble practice at BFS; a team of advisors working together to create holistic financial plans based on the individual needs, wants and wishes of each client.  Over the years, Greg has built businesses outside of wealth management, giving him additional insight and experience when working with business owners to create unique strategies for the betterment of their retirement. Greg is a visionary for BFS and continues to help BFS grow through acquisitions while continuing to serve the personalized needs of individual and families of BFS.

Greg enjoys spending time with his wife Sarah, and their two daughters, Ella and Addison.  In his free time, Greg follows the Hawkeyes in all sports and participates in Triathlons.  Greg also enjoys serving on various boards and volunteering opportunities.

• What is the most inspiring part of your job:  The people.  Working together with the BFS team and helping clients navigate through important decisions.

• The most important thing I learned before high school was:  Hard work.  Having the feeling of delayed gratification.

• Best advice ever given to you:  Do what is hard and life will be easy, do what is easy and life will be hard.  

Kurt Vitense

Owner & Partner

Kurt joined BFS in 2003 and is now an owner and partner in the firm.  Throughout his career, Kurt has built and developed relationships with his clients that are based on his desire to be an honest and disciplined wealth management advisor.  Kurt is passionate about the need for every client to have a progressive financial plan that is based on our firm’s commitment to fiduciary responsibilities.  Kurt strives to find out ‘What is important to every client’ to efficiently manage their assets with the goals, needs, wants and wishes of the client in mind.

Kurt graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in finance and resides in Iowa City with his wife Teesa, son Cal and daughter Eve.  They have a pit bull, Gracie and a cat, Wrigley. Kurt was a short stop at the University of Iowa and has coached baseball at City High since 2012.  Kurt is an avid fan of the Hawkeyes, Cubs and Packers.

• Best piece of advice I’ve been given: How your character will be judged is how you treat those that can do nothing for you.

• If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would start: A spa made up of steam rooms, saunas, hot tubs, hot beds, waterfall message showers, cryotherapy and meditation rooms.

• Dogs or Cats:  Both!

Dale Handley

Owner & Partner

Dale joined BFS in 2011 and became an owner and partner in 2019.  Dale is committed to helping individuals and families reach their financial goals. In addition to working with  Dale's focus is on building personalized financial plans, helping BFS clients to navigate life's financial challenges using a comprehensive roadmap.  Dale's other specialties include, retirement income planning, wealth accumulation strategies, life insurance, college funding, and tax minimization strategies.  He prides himself on working hard for his clients, providing them with information they need to make informed decisions to help them succeed.

Dale attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics.  Dale and his wife Anna have two children Faye and Walker and live on an acreage just outside of Solon.

• The best piece of advice I’ve been given:  A goal without a plan is just a wish
  
  
• What’s the most inspiring part of your job:  Seeing people realize delayed gratification from action they took in the past
  
  
• If you were a pasta shape, what shape would you be and why:  I would be spaghetti.  Its classic, unassuming, served at all the best Italian restaurants in the world and its never going out of style.

Stacie Bedford

Office Manager New Client Services

Stacie joined Business & Financial Strategies in September 2013. She has over twenty year’s experience in marketing, communications and relationship building. Stacie leads our new client relations division and enjoys working with the newest members of our wealth management family and continuing to build relationships with our existing clients.  She enjoys spending time with her family, Bob her husband, and daughter Sierra and son Trenton as well as her dogs, Iris and Harper. Her hobbies include following the Hawkeyes in all sports, Chicago Cubs baseball and Bears football, golfing, biking, gardening and cooking.

• Best piece of advice I’ve been given: ‘Problems or issues are opportunities in disguise’

• One of my favorite laughter quotes: “Never go to bed mad.  Stay up and fight” ~ Phyllis Dillar. 

• One of my favorite words:  MOSAIC.  I love the way it sounds, and its meaning can be diverse and colorful.

Sue Busta

Office Manager Client Services

Sue joined Business & Financial Strategies in 2013 and has since taken on the role of Office Manager of Client Services for our existing clients. Sue ensures that the goals and recommendations outlined by our financial plans are continuously being met for our clients.  Sue helps ensure that all current clients are scheduled for reviews and their files are updated as life events occur.  She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a major in Health Promotion and a minor in Business.  Outside of the office, Sue enjoys golfing, kickboxing, bartending and spending time with family, friends and her rescue dog, Baxter.

• Cats or Dogs:  Dogs, of course!

• When I was five, I was pretty sure I’d be a:  Zookeeper

• My favorite word in the English language:  Doppelganger

Jeff Pacha

Partner & Financial Advisor

Jeff joined BFS in 2011 after graduating from the University of Iowa, where he earned his degree in Finance and competed as a four-year varsity letter winner for the Iowa Baseball team.  Jeff’s focus is in building personalized financial plans to help navigate his clients through achieving their retirement and estate planning objectives.  He emphasizes fostering lasting relationships with his clients by focusing on what matters most to them and designing strategies tailored to what they are striving to accomplish.

Jeff and his wife, Molly, and their two children, Henry and Emmie reside happily in Iowa City.  Jeff is a life-long Hawkeye fan and supporter, and is currently an executive board member of the Johnson County I-Club.

• The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is: Dream big, laugh often, and choose to focus your attention on the things in life that make you the happiest.

• What’s the most important part of your job:  Every day is a new opportunity to foster new and existing relationships, work with great people and help others realize their dreams and ambitions.

• When I was five, I was pretty sure I’d be: President of the United States  

Derek Parker, BFA™

Advisor

Derek started working at BFS in 2011 after graduating from The University of Iowa with degrees in Finance and Economics, along with a Risk Management & Insurance Certificate.  Derek focuses on creating a unique plan for each family and individual based on their goals. He uses strategies in retirement planning, insurance planning and wealth accumulation.  Derek was born and raised in Iowa City and is a life-long fan of the Hawkeyes.  He enjoys watching and playing sports and spending time with family and friends. Derek enjoys building strong relationships with his clients and finding out their "Why" to help pursue financial goals.

• What’s the most inspiring part of your job: Reducing client’s fears about money, allowing them to rest easy at night, knowing that, they are going to be okay.

• If I were a superhero, my superpower would be: Telepathy, since most superheroes can fly too.

• When I was five, I was pretty sure I’d be an: ‘Olympic Runner’ when I grew up.

Sam Zoske

Director of Expansion and M &A

Sam joined BFS in 2022 after 17 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Sam spent a majority of those years acquiring, managing and operating multiple retail pharmacy locations throughout Iowa. In the later part of his pharmacy career, he was successful in raising multiple rounds of venture capital as co-founder and Senior Vice President of Innovation and Strategy of a high growth pharmacy start-up. Sam has knowledge and experience of both the buy and sell sides of numerous transactions. Sam uses this expertise of acquisitions, growth and networking to help lead BFS’s expansion strategy. Sam holds his bachelors in Business Management after attending Kirkwood, Iowa State, and Buena Vista University.

Sam and his wife Samantha reside in Solon with their three children Isaiah, Zoey and Leyton. Sam enjoys spending time with his family, watching youth sports, his daughters dance and playing golf.

• What would you do if you won the lottery:  Spend far less time in the Iowa winters!

• What’s your favorite vacation spot:  New Buffalo, MI

• Best advice ever given to you:  Hire smarter people than you.